Door handle assembly

ABSTRACT

In at least one embodiment, a door handle assembly is provided comprising a door handle having a roller and attached to a mount. An actuator is attached to the mount and has a first surface and an actuator projection. The door handle assembly also comprises a bolt moveable from a first bolt position where at least a portion of the bolt is inside a wall aperture, thereby engaging the door into the wall aperture, to a second bolt position where the portion of the bolt is outside the wall aperture, thereby disengaging the door from the wall aperture. The bolt has an actuator opening, the actuator passing therethrough. The roller buts the first surface and may travel from a first roller position to a second roller position when the door handle is pushed, thereby retracting the bolt from the first bolt position to the second bolt position.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.10/213,135, filed Aug. 5, 2002. That application claims the benefit ofand incorporates by reference, U.S. provisional application number60/318,478, filed on Sep. 10, 2001.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to door handle assemblies. Moreparticularly, the present invention relates to low-profile door handleassemblies having door handles actuated by a non-rotational motion.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Conventional door handle assemblies typically include a pair offaceplates, a slide bolt, and a pair of door handles. The slide bolt isassembled inside a standard bore of a door so that when the slide boltextends, it engages the door to an aperture in a wall thereby closingthe door and allowing the door to be locked. The standard bore iscovered by two opposing faceplates. The door handles protrude from thefaceplates.

[0004] The height of a conventional door handle is typically 2.25 to2.50 inches, as measured from a door surface. A conventional door oftendamages a wall, especially when a door is slammed into a wall. A wallcan also be gradually damaged when a conventional door handle oftencontacts the wall. To minimize wall damage, people use devices, such asdoorstops and rubber pads attached to the walls. However, doorstops andrubber pads are not aesthetically pleasing to some people. Doorstops andrubber pads also require additional cost, time, and effort to install.Additionally, doorstops and rubber pads leave permanent marks or holeson the wall when removed. Thus, a door handle that does not cause walldamage is desired.

[0005] Another problem with a conventional door handle assembly is itrequires rotation of the handle to open a door. Rotating a door handleis difficult at times, particularly when carrying an object with bothhands, or particularly when the user is elderly, physically challenged,or has wrist problems. Thus, a door handle assembly that allows a userto open a door without having to rotate the door handle is also desired.

[0006] A number of door handles and door handle assemblies areavailable. U.S. Pat. No. 2,260,74 ('74) discloses a low-profile handleassembly designed for automobiles. The handle assembly has a largedisk-like plate. The front face of the disk-like plate is recessed andattaches a crossbar spanning across the recess. The crossbar has anoffset projection at one of its ends to provide a finger piece for thehandle assembly.

[0007] A user would use the finger piece as a crank for raising andlowering the glass panels in windows. A user would also use the fingerpiece as a handhold or grip for use and assistance in closing thevehicle door. The problem with '74 is it only provides a handhold foropening or closing a door. The handhold does not actuate a lock or aslide bolt.

[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,474 ('474) discloses a latch opener of thepush-pull type. '474 has a base plate secured to a door. A handle ismounted on the base plate to pivot about a first axis. The handle isattached to an actuator. The actuator is mounted on the base plate topivot about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis. The actuatorincludes a projecting arm engageable in an opening of a latch bolthousing. When the arm engages a latch bolt, the arm causes the latchbolt to slide and thereby allowing the door to open. The latch bolthousing has a coil spring to continuously bias the latch bolt into aposition protruding out of the door thereby allowing the door to close.The problem with '474 is that its handle protrudes in a manner that cancause wall damage. Additionally, its actuator is composed of multipleparts, which makes the actuator susceptible to mechanical malfunctionand which makes the actuator expensive to manufacture.

ADVANTAGES OF ONE OR MORE EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

[0009] The various embodiments of the present invention may, but do notnecessarily, achieve one or more of the following advantages:

[0010] provide a low-profile door handle;

[0011] provide a door handle substantially flush with a faceplate cover;

[0012] provide an attractive door handle;

[0013] provide a door handle assembly that opens a door by anon-rotational motion;

[0014] provide a door handle assembly that allows a user to open a dooreasily;

[0015] provide a bolt constructed with unitary piece of material;

[0016] provide a bolt constructed with minimum machining;

[0017] provide a bolt that makes a sturdy and secure door lock;

[0018] provide a door handle assembly that is easy to install;

[0019] provide a door lock with an emergency access;

[0020] provide a door handle assembly with minimal components;

[0021] the ability to minimize wall damage from a door handle;

[0022] prove a door handle that may be operated with minimal force; and

[0023] provide a door handle that can be easily pushed to open a door.

[0024] These and other advantages may be realized by reference to theremaining portions of the specification, claims, and abstract.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE ASPECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0025] In at least one embodiment, a door handle assembly is providedcomprising a door handle having a roller and attached to a mount. Anactuator is attached to the mount and has a first surface and anactuator projection. The door handle assembly also comprises a boltmoveable from a first bolt position where at least a portion of the boltis inside a wall aperture, thereby engaging the door into the wallaperture, to a second bolt position where the portion of the bolt isoutside the wall aperture, thereby disengaging the door from the wallaperture. The bolt has an actuator opening, the actuator passingtherethrough. The roller buts the first surface and may travel from afirst roller position to a second roller position when the door handleis pushed, thereby retracting the bolt from the first bolt position tothe second bolt position.

[0026] Some of the embodiments of the present invention may not includeall of the features or characteristics listed in the above summary.There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will bedescribed below and will form the subject matter of claims. In thisrespect, before explaining at least one preferred embodiment of theinvention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited in its application to the details of the construction and to thearrangement of the components set forth in the following description oras illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of otherembodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways.Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminologyemployed herein are for the purpose of description and should not beregarded as limiting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Certain embodiments of the invention are shown in the followingdrawings where:

[0028]FIG. 1 is substantially a top plan view of one embodiment of thedoor handle assembly of the present invention being attached to a door,the door handle assembly having a handle and a faceplate cap on eachside of the door, and the handle and the faceplate cap on each side ofthe door defining a substantially flush and a substantially flatsurface.

[0029]FIG. 2 is substantially an exploded view of one embodiment of thedoor handle assembly of the present invention.

[0030]FIG. 3 is substantially an elevational view of one embodiment of afaceplate of the present invention.

[0031]FIG. 4 is substantially a side view of the embodiment of thefaceplate shown in FIG. 3.

[0032]FIG. 5 is substantially a plan view of the front side of thefaceplate embodiment shown in FIG. 3.

[0033]FIG. 6 is substantially a plan view of the backside of thefaceplate embodiment shown in FIG. 3.

[0034]FIG. 7 is substantially a plan view of the front side of anotherfaceplate embodiment.

[0035]FIG. 8 is substantially a plan view of the backside of thefaceplate embodiment shown in FIG. 7.

[0036]FIG. 9 is substantially a side view of an embodiment of afaceplate cap of the present invention.

[0037]FIG. 10 is substantially a plan view of the faceplate capembodiment shown in FIG. 9.

[0038]FIG. 11 is substantially a cross-sectional view of the faceplatecap embodiment shown in FIG. 9 with the front side being on the bottomand the backside being on top.

[0039]FIG. 12 is substantially a perspective view of an embodiment of adoor handle and an actuator of the present invention.

[0040]FIG. 13 is substantially a perspective view of an embodiment of abolt of the present invention.

[0041]FIG. 14 is substantially a perspective view of an embodiment of abolt housing of the present invention.

[0042]FIG. 15 shows substantially one method of opening a door ordisengaging a door from a wall, wherein a handle actuates an actuatorand the actuator engages a bolt to slide the bolt away from a wallaperture.

[0043]FIG. 16 is substantially a perspective view of an embodiment of acam of the present invention, the cam being attached to a cam shaft, thecam shaft having a depression to receive a cam actuator, and the camshaft further having a cam rotation stop to limit the rotation of thecam.

[0044]FIG. 17 is substantially an embodiment of a locking mechanism ofthe present invention, wherein the cam shown in FIG. 16 is in a lockedposition and the bolt may slide away from the wall aperture to allow thedoor to open.

[0045]FIG. 18 is substantially the locking mechanism embodiment shown inFIG. 17, wherein the cam is in an unlocked position, and the camprevents the bolt from sliding away from the wall aperture therebypreventing the door from being opened.

[0046]FIG. 19 is substantially an embodiment of the door handle assemblywherein the door may only be opened by using the door handle positionedonly on one side of the door.

[0047]FIG. 20 is substantially another embodiment of the door handleassembly wherein the door may be opened by using the door handlespositioned on both sides of the door.

[0048]FIG. 21 is substantially another embodiment of the door handleassembly, wherein the door may only be opened by using the door handlepositioned only on one side of the door, wherein the door may be lockedand unlocked using the cam latch positioned on the same side of the dooras the door handle, and wherein the door may be locked and unlocked byactuating cam through an alternate cam access.

[0049]FIG. 22 is substantially another embodiment of the door handleassembly, wherein the door may only be opened by using the door handlepositioned only on one side of the door, and wherein the door may belocked and unlocked using the cam latch positioned on the same side ofthe door as the door handle.

[0050]FIG. 23 is substantially another embodiment of the door handleassembly, wherein the door may only be opened by using the door handlepositioned only on a first side of the door, wherein the door may belocked and unlocked using the cam latch positioned on the same side ofthe door as the door handle, and wherein the door may be locked andunlocked by using a key from a second side of the door.

[0051]FIG. 24 is substantially perspective view of a door having anembodiment of the door handle assembly attached, the perspective viewalso showing the low-profile characteristic and non-rotational actuationfeature of the door handle.

[0052]FIG. 25 shows a comparison between the dimensions, including theangles measured from a door surface, of the preferred embodiment of thedoor handle assembly and the conventional door handle assemblies.

[0053]FIG. 26 is substantially a top view of an alternative, pushoperated door handle assembly according to the present invention.

[0054]FIG. 27 is substantially a top view of the door handle assembly ofFIG. 26 wherein the door handle has been pushed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0055] In the following detailed description of the preferredembodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which forma part of this application. The drawings show, by way of illustration,specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is tobe understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structuralchanges may be made without departing from the scope of the presentinvention.

[0056] The present invention comprises a door handle assembly, generallyindicated by reference number 20. Referring to FIG. 1, door handleassembly 20 is preferably configured to attach to a door 22. Door 22 isengageable to a wall recess 24 preferably covered by a striker plate 26.Door 22 has a front side 28 and a backside 30. Front side 28 ispreferably distinguishable from backside 30 by front side 30 being theside to which striker plate 26 protrudes.

[0057] In the preferred embodiment, door handle assembly 20 has a pairof opposing faceplates 32 and 34, a pair of opposing faceplate caps 36and 38 attached to their corresponding faceplates, and a pair ofopposing handles 40 and 42. Faceplate cap 36 and handle 40 define asubstantially flush and flat surface 44 on front side 28. Faceplate cap38 and handle 42 define a substantially flush and flat surface 46 onbackside 30. In the most preferred embodiment, door handle assembly 20also has a cam handle 48.

[0058] Referring now to FIG. 2, the preferred embodiment of door handleassembly 20 has an actuator 50 attached to handle 42 and an actuator 52attached to handle 40. Each actuator 50 and 52 preferably has a pinpassage 55 adjacent to its corresponding handle. A fastener (not shown)known in the art may be used to pivotably or rotatably attach actuators50 and 52 to their corresponding actuator mount 56 and 57.

[0059] Actuator mounts 56 and 57 are preferably similar, and they arepreferably made of two opposing and parallel projections 59 and 61 beingspaced apart. Each actuator mount 56 and 57 preferably has a fasteneropening 62 defined by their projections 59 and 61, preferably at theends of each projections 59 and 61. To attach actuators 50 and 52 totheir actuator mounts 56 and 57, respectively, each actuator 50 and 52is placed in between the parallel projections 59 and 61 of theircorresponding actuator mount 56 and 57. A fastener (not shown in FIG. 1)is inserted through fastener opening 61, fastener passage 55, andfastener opening 62.

[0060] The ends of parallel projections 59 and 61 of each actuatormounts 56 and 57 that are distal from fastener opening 62 are attachedperpendicular to faceplates 32 and 34. Faceplates 32 and 34 areattachable to each other through parallel posts 58 and 60. Faceplatecaps 66 and 68 are attached to faceplates 32 and 34, respectively.

[0061] Door handle assembly 20 may further have a bolt 70. Bolt 70 ispreferably configured to be positioned inside a bolt collar 72. Boltcollar 72 and bolt 70 are preferably configured to be positioned insidea bolt housing 74. Bolt 70 preferably has a bolt ring 76. A firstbiasing device 78, preferably a spring, may be positioned in betweenbolt ring 76 and bolt collar 72. Bolt collar 72 is preferably configuredto attach to a bolt plate 80 by using fasteners known in the art, suchas a screw. A second biasing device 82, preferably a spring, may bepositioned in between bolt ring 76 and bolt plate 80. Biasing devices 78and 80 may also be made of other materials known in the art, such as acoil spring or a tension spring.

[0062] Door handle assembly 20 may further have a cam 84 configured toextend across and perpendicular to the planes of faceplates 32 and 34.Cam 84 is further configured to be positioned inside bolt housing 74 andperpendicular to the sliding axis of bolt 70.

[0063] Faceplates

[0064] Faceplates 32 and 34 are preferably made of zinc metal, but maybe made of other materials known in the art such as brass, zinc alloy,or steel. An embodiment of one of the faceplates of door handle assembly20 is shown in FIGS. 3-6. Faceplate 32 is preferably configured toattach to front side 28 of door 22 (shown in FIG. 1). Referring now toFIG. 3, faceplate 32 has a front side 122 and a backside 124. Front side122 forms the exterior side of faceplate 32, which is the visible sidewhen faceplate 32 is attached to a door. An actuator mount 56 isattached to front side 122 of faceplate 32. Actuator mount 56 preferablyhas two parallel projections 59 and 61. Backside 124 forms the interiorside of faceplate 32, which will not be visible when faceplate 32 isattached to a door. Faceplate 32 has two parallel posts 58 and 60attached to backside 55. The ends of posts 58 and 60 that are notdirectly attached to backside 124 preferably have hollow ends, which mayfurther have threaded interiors to accommodate threaded screws forattaching an opposing faceplate.

[0065] Referring now to FIG. 4, actuator mount 56 preferably defines afastener passage 62. Fastener passage 62 allows a pin or a fastenerknown in the art to attach an actuator to actuator mount 56. As shownalso in FIG. 4, backside 124 preferably has three concentric layers 126,128, and 130. Referring now to FIG. 5, front side 122 has a circular camopening 132 preferably substantially in the middle of front side 122.Circular cam opening 132 allows cam (not shown in FIG. 5) to attach tofaceplate 32.

[0066] Front side 122 further has an oblong actuator passage 134.Actuator passage 134 is positioned between parallel projections 59 and61. Of course, the positions, shapes, and sizes of actuator passage 134and cam opening 132 may vary. Referring now to FIG. 6, actuator passage134 preferably extends through layer 128. Posts 58 and 60 are preferablyattached on layer 128.

[0067] Another embodiment of faceplate is shown in FIGS. 7-10. Faceplate34 is preferably configured to attach to back side 30 of door 22 (shownin FIG. 1). Faceplate 34 is preferably similar to faceplate 32 (shown inFIGS. 3-6). However, faceplate 34 preferably does not have postsattached to the backside of the faceplate unlike faceplate 32. Referringto FIG. 7, faceplate 34 preferably has fastener openings 140 and 142drilled on backside 124 so that when faceplates 32 and 34 are attachedto a door, opposing faceplates 32 and 34 are connected by fasteners,such as screws, through fastener openings 140 and 142 of faceplate 34and posts 58 and 60 of faceplate 32.

[0068] Referring now to FIG. 8, faceplate 34 also has three concentriclayers like faceplate 32. However, in the preferred embodiment,faceplate 34 has an additional fourth layer 146. Fourth layer 146preferably defines cam stops 148 and 150, and thus fourth layer 146 ispreferably circular shaped having a larger radius on one side than theother. Fourth layer 146 preferably further defines a cam opening 152.Cam opening 152 is configured to receive cam 105 (not shown in FIG. 8).When cam 105 (not shown in FIG. 8) attaches to fourth layer 146 throughcam opening 152 and rotates, the axis of rotation of cam 105 will belimited by cam stops 148 and 150.

[0069] Faceplate Caps

[0070] Referring now to FIG. 9, an embodiment of a faceplate cap 66 isshown. Faceplate caps 66 and 68 (shown in FIG. 1) are preferablysimilar. Faceplate cap 66 is preferably made of zinc metal, but may bemade of other materials known in the art, such as brass, zinc alloy, orsteel. Faceplate cap 66 has preferably a hemisphere shape further cutcrosswise by a half. Faceplate cap 66 has a backside 154 and a frontside 156. The preferred distance from backside 154 and front side 156 isequal to or less than 1 inch. When measured from a door surface 155, thepreferred height of faceplate cap 66 is equal to or less than 1 inch. Ofcourse, the faceplate cap may be made with varying dimensions.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 10, backside 154 preferably has flat base 158configured to attach to a faceplate (not shown in FIG. 10). Flat base158 preferably has three openings 160, 162, and 164 for fasteners, suchas screws, to attach faceplate cap 66 to a faceplate (not shown in FIG.10). Of course, flat base 158 may be attached to a faceplate by welding,by using an adhesive, or other techniques known in the art. Front side156 preferably defines a semi-circular recess 166, which accommodateshandle 40 or 42 (not shown in FIG. 10). Front side 156 and handle 40 or42 forms a substantially flat surface (not shown in FIG. 10).

[0072] Faceplate cap 66 may be made of shapes other than a hemispherethat is further cut by a half. Faceplate cap 66 may be in the shape ofan entire hemisphere, a hemisphere cut by more than or less than a half,or some portion of a sphere cut crosswise by exactly a half, more than ahalf, or less than a half.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 11, when faceplate cap 66 is laid on a flatsurface with front side 58 on the bottom and backside 56 on top, theedges of front side 58 forms substantially an acute angle measured fromthe flat surface.

[0074] Door Handles and Actuator

[0075] Referring now to FIG. 12, a handle 40 with an attached actuator52 is shown. Handle 42 shown in FIG. 2 is preferably similar to handle40. Actuator 52 shown in FIG. 2 is preferably similar to actuator 50.Handle 40 has a front surface (not shown in FIG. 12) and a back surface168. Handle 40 preferably has a semi-circular shaped half 41. The otherhalf of handle 40 is preferably a substantially c-shaped half 43,wherein the ends of the “c” are smoothly connected to semi-circularshaped half 41. C-shaped half 43 allows a user to easily grasp and pullhandle 40.

[0076] Semi-circular shaped half 41 preferably has raised edges 170 toadd more definition to handle 40. Handle 40 preferably has a pivot stop172 attached in the middle of raised edge 170 of semi-circular shapedhalf 41 and adjacent to back surface 168. Pivot stop 172 may be made ofvarious shapes. Pivot stop 172 preferably protrudes from raised edge 170and is preferably parallel to the plane of raised edge 170. Pivot stop172 restricts the pivot movement of handle 40.

[0077] When handle 40 is attached on actuator mount 56 (not shown inFIG. 12) and adjacent to faceplate cap 66 (not shown in FIG. 12), handle40 and faceplate cap 66 are preferably configured to form asubstantially flush and substantially flat front surface.

[0078] Actuator 52 is preferably attached on backside 168 of handle 40and perpendicular to handle 40. Actuator 52 is preferably positionedadjacent to the middle of the rounded edge of semi-circular half 41 ofhandle 40. Actuator 52 preferably defines pin passage 55 adjacent to theend of actuator 52 that is adjacent to handle 40. The opposite end ofactuator 52 that is away from handle 40 is preferably tapered on oneside to allow for better positioning of actuator 52 inside actuatorpassage of bolt 70 (not shown in FIG. 12).

[0079] Handle 40 and actuator 52 are preferably made of zinc, but may bemade with other materials known in the art, such as steel, zinc alloy,and brass. In the preferred embodiment, handle 40 and actuator 52 areunitarily built. However, handle 40 and actuator 52 may also be attachedthrough welding or through an adhesive. Handle 40 and actuator 52 mayfurther be attached using fasteners known in the art.

[0080] Bolt

[0081] Referring now to FIG. 13, a preferred embodiment of bolt 70 isshown. In the preferred embodiment, bolt 70 partially tapers toward afirst end 200. First end 200 is configured to insert through a wallaperture to engage and close a door. First end 200 is tapered so thatwhen first end 200 is in contact with a striker plate surrounding a wallaperture (not shown in FIG. 13), first end 200 slides past strikerplate, and first end 200 slides towards inside the wall aperture. Firstend 200 is also tapered to allow bolt 70 to move outside the wallaperture quicker when the door is opened.

[0082] In the preferred embodiment, bolt 70 also has a pin opening 204.One end of a pin (not shown) may be inserted inside pin opening 204 andthe other end of pin may be attached to a pin opening 71 of bolt collar72 (shown in FIG. 2), and thus the pin prohibits substantial rotationalmovement of bolt 70. Prohibiting substantial rotational movement of bolt70 may allow proper actuator positioning inside actuator opening 202,which translates to proper operation of actuators 52 and 50 (not shownin FIG. 13).

[0083] In the preferred embodiment, bolt 70 has a ring 76. Ring 76provides an abutting surface for biasing devices 78 and 82 (shown inFIG. 2) so that biasing devices 78 and 82 can operate to cause bolt 70to slide back and forth in a sliding axis thereby allowing bolt toengage and disengage a door from a wall aperture. Bolt 70 has a secondend 206, which is opposite first end 200. Bolt 70 defines a cam aperture208 adjacent to the second end. Cam aperture 208 is configured toaccommodate cam 105 (not shown in FIG. 13) positioned perpendicular tobolt 70. At the second end, bolt 70 has a plurality of fingers 210, 212,214, and 216. Fingers 210, 212, 214, and 216 define a pair of stopsurfaces 218 and 220 for a cam portion (not shown in FIG. 13) to abut toprevent bolt from sliding in its sliding axis.

[0084] Bolt 70 is preferably made of zinc, but may also be made ofmaterials known in the art, such as zinc alloy, steel, and brass. Bolt70 is preferably unitarily constructed. Bolt 70 may unitarily beconstructed by molding or other techniques known in the art. A unitarilyconstructed bolt 70 provides a sturdier and thus more secure lock than abolt made of multiple components. A lock provided by a bolt made ofmultiple components may easily be tampered. For example, if onecomponent gives in to the tampering or if the component bends or breaks,the remaining components may lose the support provided by the componentthat gave in. In contrast, for a lock supported by a unitarilyconstructed bolt to be tampered, the entire bolt has to be destroyed.Since bolt 70 is usually positioned inside a standard bore of a door,tampering with bolt 70 may require destruction of the entire door.

[0085] Bolt Housing

[0086] Referring now to FIG. 14, an embodiment of a bolt housing isshown. Bolt housing 74 preferably defines post passages 222 and 224.Post passages 222 and 224 are designed to receive posts 58 and 60 offaceplate 32 (not shown in FIG. 14). Bolt housing 74 further defines acam passage 226 in between post passages 222 and 224. Cam passage 226 isdesigned to allow cam 105 (not shown in FIG. 14) to extend betweenfaceplates 32 and 34(also not shown in FIG. 14). Next, bolt housing 74defines a bolt passage 228 to allow bolt 70 (not shown in FIG. 14) topass through and meet with cam 105 (also not shown in FIG. 14). Bolthousing 74 further defines actuator slots 227 and 229 to allow actuators50 and 52 (not shown in FIG. 14) to pass through and engage bolt 70 (notshown in FIG. 14).

[0087] Actuation

[0088] Referring now to FIG. 15, biasing device 78 preferably urge bolt70 to a first position wherein bolt 70 is configured to protrude from adoor 230 and to engage door 230 with a wall 232 by moving into wallaperture 234 surrounded by a striker plate 236. Door handle 42 isattached to actuator 50. Actuator 50 extends through actuator passage(not shown in FIG. 15) of faceplate 32 and through actuator opening 202to engage bolt 70. Door handle 42 and actuator 50 are attached onactuator mount 56, which serves as a fulcrum allowing handle 42 andactuator 50 to pivot around a pivot axis.

[0089] As a user opens door 230, the user holds handle 42 and pullshandle 42 toward him or her. Handle 42 and actuator 50 pivots around thefulcrum provided by actuator mount 56. Actuator 50 moves bolt 70 to asecond position wherein bolt 70 moves outside wall aperture 234 therebydisengaging door 230 from wall 232. After the user releases door handle42, biasing device 78 naturally urges bolt 70 to protrude from door 230thereby causing door handle 42 to move to a position wherein door handle42 and faceplate cap 66 defines a substantially flush and substantiallyflat front surface. Pivot stop 172 of door handle 42 abuts faceplate cap66 to maintain a substantially flush and substantially flat frontsurface.

[0090] Cam

[0091] Referring now to FIG. 16, a preferred embodiment of cam 105 has acam portion 240 attached to a camshaft 242. Cam portion 240 ispreferably shaped to fit cam aperture 208 of bolt 70. Cam portion 240preferably has a raised abutting portion 250 to abut stop surfaces 218and 220 of bolt 70 (not shown in FIG. 16) and prevent bolt from slidingaway from wall aperture thereby locking the door. Cam 105 further has acam ring 246 and a ring projection 248 transverse from cam ring 246.Ring projection 248 preferably cam stops 148 and 150 (shown in FIG. 8)when cam 105 rotates around its axis of rotation to limit rotation ofcam 105.

[0092] In the most preferred embodiment, an alternate cam access 244 ispositioned at one end of camshaft 242. Alternate cam access 244 ispreferably a depression spanning crosswise across the end of camshaft.The depression is preferably sized to fit a flathead screwdriver or akey so that a flathead screwdriver or a key may be used as alternativedevices to a cam latch (not shown in FIG. 16) to actuate cam 105.

[0093] Locking Mechanism

[0094] Referring now to FIG. 17, a cam latch 256 may be attached to cam105, which may allow a user to conveniently activate cam 105. Bypivoting cam latch 256 within a rotational axis, cam latch 256 moves cam105 between first and second positions discussed below. Cam latch 256may be positioned on the side of faceplate 32 where actuator mount 56(not shown in FIG. 17), faceplate cap 66, and door handle (not shown inFIG. 17) are attached for easy access by the user. Cam 105 may also havealternative cam access 244 to allow a user to use screwdrivers, keys,and the like to access cam from to move cam 105 between first and secondpositions discussed below.

[0095] Cam 105 is preferably positioned perpendicular to bolt 70 and inbetween fingers 210, 212, 214, and 216 of bolt 70 (not shown in FIG.17). Cam 105 is configured to be moveable to a first position whereraised abutting portion 244 of cam 105 abuts stop surfaces 218 and 220of bolt 70 (only one stop surface is shown in FIG. 18) therebypreventing bolt 70 from sliding away from a wall aperture 252 andpreventing a door 254 from opening.

[0096] Referring now to FIG. 18, cam 105 may also be movable to a secondposition wherein raised abutting portion 244 of cam 105 does not abutstop surfaces 218 and 220 of bolt 70 thereby allowing bolt 70 to slidetowards a second position wherein bolt 70 is away from wall aperture andthereby allowing door 254 to open.

[0097] Closet Door Assemblies

[0098] Referring now to FIG. 19, a door handle assembly of analternative embodiment is shown. The door handle assembly shown in FIG.19 may be suited for doors that need not be locked or for doors thatonly need to be opened from one side. As an example, the door handleassembly may be suited for hall closet doors commonly found inresidences. A hall closet door provides access to a relatively smallarea, which is usually a storage area designated for storing coats andjackets. A hall closet door usually does not lock, and it usually hasonly one door handle.

[0099] Door 260 has a storage side 262, which preferably faces thestorage area and a user side 264 opposite the storage area. The doorhandle assembly has at least a faceplate 266 attached to user side 264.A faceplate cap 268 with an attached handle 270 is preferably attachedto faceplate 266. An actuator 272 is attached to handle 270. Actuator272 and handle 270 are mounted to and may pivot around an actuator mount(not shown in FIG. 19). A portion of actuator 272 is positioned insidean actuator passage (not shown in FIG. 19) of bolt 274.

[0100] Biasing devices 282 and 284 urges bolt 274 to move inside a wallaperture 280 thereby closing door 260. To open door 260, actuator 272may be actuated to move bolt 274 away from wall aperture 280 therebyreleasing door 260 from wall aperture 280.

[0101] Passage Door Assemblies

[0102] Referring now to FIG. 20, another embodiment of the door handleassembly is shown. The door handle assembly shown in FIG. 20 may besuited for doors that need not be locked and for doors that mainlypartition rooms. Additionally, as hall closet doors for people withchildren, the door handle assembly shown in FIG. 20 may be preferredover the door handle assembly of FIG. 19 because the door handleassembly of FIG. 20 allows the children to open the door from the insideof the closet, and thus eliminates the risk of children being lockedinside the hall closet. The door handle assembly shown in FIG. 20preferably primarily provides passage between rooms, and thus may beopened by using the door handles positioned on both sides of the door.

[0103] The door assembly of the embodiment shown in FIG. 20 preferablyhas opposing faceplates 290 and 292 attached on each side of door 288,faceplate caps 294 and 296 attached to each opposing faceplates 290 and292, actuator mounts (not shown in FIG. 20) attached to each opposingfaceplates 290 and 292, and door handles 298 and 300 with correspondingactuators 302 and 304 connected to actuator mounts. Additionally, thedoor assembly of the embodiment shown in FIG. 20 preferably has biasingdevices 306 and 308, bolt 310, bolt collar 312, and bolt plate (notshown in FIG. 20).

[0104] Lockable Door Assemblies

[0105]FIGS. 21-23 show additional door handle assembly embodiments.These door handle assembly embodiments may be suited for doors that aredesired to be lockable for privacy or security purposes.

[0106] Referring now to FIG. 21, the door handle assembly preferably hasthe same components as the embodiment shown in FIG. 19. Additionally,the door handle assembly of FIG. 21 has a cam 314 described in FIGS. 17and 18 above. A cam latch 316 may be positioned on one end of cam 314,preferably on the end of cam 314 that is facing a private or securedside 318 of door 320. Side 318 is preferably the side a user desires toprevent or limit access to for privacy or security reasons. Opposite toside 318, cam 314 has an alternate cam access 322 similar to alternatecam access 244 described in FIGS. 17 and 18. Alternate cam access 322may be used to as an alternate access for unlocking door 320.

[0107] Referring now to FIG. 22, the door handle assembly preferably hassimilar components described in FIG. 21. The door handle assemblyembodiment of FIG. 22 preferably does not have an alternate cam accessof FIG. 22. Additionally, bolt 324 may have a greater length than thebolt described in FIG. 13.

[0108] Referring now to FIG. 23, the door handle assembly preferably hassimilar components described in FIG. 21. The door handle assemblyembodiment of FIG. 23 preferably has an alternate cam access 326 similarto alternate cam access 244 described in FIGS. 17 and 18. An alternatefaceplate cap 328 preferably covers alternate cam access 326. Alternatefaceplate cap 328 is preferably cylindrical and has a key recess 330spanning across its vertical axis. A key 332 may be used to actuate cam314 to lock and unlock bolt 274. Alternate faceplate cap 328 may be madeof zinc, brass, or other materials known in the art.

[0109] Referring now to FIG. 24, a preferred embodiment of a door handleassembly has a faceplate 342 attached to a door 340. A faceplate cap 346is attached to faceplate 342. Faceplate cap 346 has a vertical portion348 and a horizontal portion 350. Horizontal portion 350 and door handle352 defines a substantially flat surface 354. Horizontal portion 350 anddoor handle 352 are further substantially flush, which means horizontalportion 350 and door handle 352 form a substantially continuous plane orsubstantially unbroken surface except for a boundary 356 betweenhorizontal portion 350 and door handle 352. Door handle assembly mayfurther have a cam latch 358 behind door handle 352.

[0110] Door 340 may be opened by pulling handle 352. Handle 352 may bemoved around a pivot axis on a horizontal plane. As handle 352 movesaround pivot axis, actuator (not shown in FIG. 24) engages bolt 360 andcauses bolt 360 to slide within in its sliding axis. Sliding axis ofbolt 360 is preferably parallel to the horizontal plane defined by thepivot axis.

[0111] Referring now to FIG. 25, the preferred embodiment of door handleassembly 20 is shown with conventional door handle assemblies 380 and382. The height of door handle assembly 20 as measured from door 386 ispreferably less than the heights of conventional door handle assemblies380 and 382. Additionally, angle 384 measured from the surface of door386 to the front surface of door handle assembly 20 is preferably lessthan those of conventional door handle assemblies 380 and 382.

[0112] It can thus be appreciated that certain embodiments of thepresent invention provide a 0door handle assembly having a low-profilecharacteristic. When the door handle assembly of the preferredembodiments shown in FIGS. 24 and 25 is attached to a door and the dooris moved toward a wall, the door handle assembly has little or notendency to contact the wall. Therefore, the door handle assembly of thepreferred embodiment minimizes wall damage.

[0113] Certain embodiments of the present invention further providenon-rotational actuation feature of the door handle. As shown from thepreferred embodiments in FIGS. 24 and 25, the door handle assembly mayrequire a pulling motion. For elderly, physically challenged, personswith wrist problems, and persons carrying objects on both hands, openinga door by a pulling motion may be easier than the conventional rotatingmotion.

[0114] Push Operated Door Handle

[0115] Previously described embodiments have described a door handlethat is operated by a pulling motion, no matter which direction the doorswings when opened. However, it may be beneficial to provide door handleassemblies where the motion used to actuate the door handle also servesto open the door. For example, a pulling motion may be most useful tooperate a door handle when a door will swing inward, towards a personopening the door. A pushing motion may be used to operate a door handlewhen a door is to swing outward, away from a person opening a door. Inthis way, opening the door requires less force and operates in a morefluid manner. Such an embodiment may be especially useful for thedisabled or for those who are not able to apply large amounts of forceto operate a door handle and open a door.

[0116] One suitable embodiment 400, that may be used with previouslydescribed components, is shown in FIG. 26. Door handle apparatus 400 maycomprise a handle 404 having a projection 410 adapated to be secured toa mount 416. Mount 416 is shown as a yoke or fork, however other mountsmay be used. In certain embodiments, projection 410 extends betweenparallel projections 418 (only one of which is visible in FIG. 26) ofmount 416 and may secured to mount 416 by any suitable means, such as byinserting a pin 418 or other suitable fastener apertures, such as pinopenings 420 and 422 in parallel projections 418 and handle 404,respectively.

[0117] An actuator 430, such as the tab leg shown in FIG. 26, may alsobe attached to mount 416. Actuator 430 may be coupled to mount 416 byany suitable means, such as by inserting a pin 436 or other suitablefastener through apertures, such as pin openings 440 and 442 in parallelprojections 418 and actuator 430, respectively. Mount 416 may beintegrally formed on a faceplate 448 or may be coupled to faceplate 448by any suitable means, such as by welding or adhesives.

[0118] Projection 410 of door handle 404 may also have a roller orlinkage 454 coupled thereto. Roller 454 may be a ball bearing, a bicyclechain roller, a metal roller, or a roller constructed of othermaterials, including rubbers, plastics, and the like. In certainembodiments, such as the one depicted in FIG. 26, roller 454 may rotateabout a vertical axis. Roller 454 may rest against a curved surface 460of actuator 430. Roller 454 may be attached to, and rotate around, a pin462 of handle 404. Of course, roller 454 may be attached to door handle404 in other ways without departing from the scope of the presentinvention.

[0119] When the door handle assembly 400 is not being actuated, roller454 may rest at a first position 464 on actuator 430. When handle 404 ispushed, roller 454 will travel along surface 460 of actuator 430,eventually reaching a second position 466, shown in FIG. 27. Referringback to FIG. 26, during operation, force will be transmitted from handle404, through roller 454, to actuator 430. As roller 454 moves, thetransmitted force will cause force to be applied to actuator 430 indifferent directions, causing actuator 430 to move.

[0120] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 26, a projection 470 of actuator430 passes through an actuator opening 474 formed in a bolt 476. Asroller 454 moves from first position 464 to second position 466,projection 470 of actuator 430 will engage a portion of the interior ofbolt 476 towards the interior of a door (not shown in FIG. 26), causingbolt 470 to be retracted away from a wall aperture in a wall (not shownin FIG. 26).

[0121] As described in previous embodiments, and as shown in FIGS. 2 and19-23, bolt 470 may be biased towards the wall aperture by or morebiasing devices (such as biasing devices 82 and 78 of FIG. 2). Whenforce is no longer applied to door handle 404, the biasing devices willcause bolt 470 to be biased towards the wall aperture, in turn causingroller 454 to move from second position 466 back to first position 464.

[0122] The components of door handle assembly 400 may be used with anypreviously described door handle assemblies, or with other door handleassemblies now existing or later developed, that are within the skill ofthe art worker. In certain embodiments, a door handle assembly isprovided which contains a push handle on one side and a pull handle onthe other side.

CONCLUSION

[0123] Although the description above contains many specifications,these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention butas merely providing illustrations of some of presently preferredembodiments of this invention. Thus, the scope of the invention shouldbe determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents ratherthan by the examples given.

What is claimed is:
 1. A door handle assembly comprising: (A) a doorhandle, the door handle having a roller; (B) a mount, the door handlebeing attached to the mount; (C) an actuator attached to the mount, theactuator having a first surface and an actuator projection; (D) a bolt,the bolt being movable from a first bolt position where at least aportion of the bolt is inside a wall aperture thereby engaging the doorinto the wall aperture to a second bolt position where the portion ofthe bolt is outside the wall aperture thereby disengaging the door fromthe wall aperture, the bolt having an actuator opening formed therein,the actuator projection passing though the actuator opening, wherein theroller abuts the first surface and may travel from a first rollerposition to a second roller position when the door handle is pushed,thereby retracting the bolt from the first bolt position to the secondbolt position.
 2. The door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein the doorhandle comprises a substantially flat surface forming a plane, the planeof the door handle being substantially parallel to a plane of a doorwhen the door handle assembly is mounted to the door.
 3. The door handleassembly of claim 1, wherein the height of the door handle measured fromthe door is equal to or less than 1 inch.
 4. The door handle assembly ofclaim 1, wherein the door handle is adapted to move on a pivot axis, thepivot axis being horizontal.
 5. The door handle assembly of claim 1, themount comprising a plurality of parallel projections, the actuator beingposition between the plurality of parallel projections.
 6. The doorhandle assembly of claim 5, further comprising a fastener, the fasteneradapted to secure the actuator to the plurality of parallel projections.7. The door handle assembly of claim 1, the mount comprising a pluralityof parallel projections, the door handle comprising a door handleprojection, the door handle projection being positioned between theplurality of parallel projections.
 8. The door handle assembly of claim7, further comprising a fastener, the fastener adapted to secure thedoor handle projection to the plurality of parallel projections.
 9. Thedoor handle assembly of claim 1, wherein the first surface is curved.10. The door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein the first surface has aconvex portion and a concave portion.
 11. The door handle assembly ofclaim 1, further comprising a cam assembly disposed perpendicular to thebolt, the cam assembly comprising a cam attached on a cam shaft, the cambeing adapted to abut at least a portion of the bolt, wherein when thecam is actuated, the cam is adapted to lock the bolt in the firstposition.
 12. The door handle assembly of claim 11, wherein the camassembly further comprises a cam latch attached at one end of the camshaft, the cam latch being adapted to allow a user to actuate the cam.13. The door handle assembly of claim 12, further comprising analternative cam access attached to the end of the cam shaft opposite tothe cam latch, the alternative cam access being adapted to allow a userto actuate the cam from the side opposite the cam latch.
 14. The doorhandle assembly of claim 1, further comprising a pull door handleassembly located on the opposite side of the door as the door handle,the pull door handle assembly comprising an actuator adapted to passthrough an actuator opening and into the bolt.
 15. A door handleassembly comprising: (A) a door handle, the door handle having a firstsurface; (B) a mount, the door handle being attached to the mount; (C)an actuator attached to the mount, the actuator having a roller and anactuator projection; (D) a bolt, the bolt being movable from a firstbolt position where at least a portion of the bolt is inside a wallaperture thereby engaging the door into the wall aperture to a secondbolt position where the portion of the bolt is outside the wall aperturethereby disengaging the door from the wall aperture, the first and thesecond position defining a sliding axis, the bolt having an actuatoropening formed therein, the actuator projection passing though theactuator opening, wherein the roller abuts the first surface and maytravel from a first roller position to a second roller position when thedoor handle is pushed, thereby retracting the bolt from the first boltposition to the second bolt position.
 16. The door handle assembly ofclaim 15, wherein the door handle comprises a substantially flat surfaceforming a plane, the plane of the door handle being substantiallyparallel to a plane of a door when the door handle assembly is mountedto the door.
 17. The door handle assembly of claim 15, wherein theheight of the door handle measured from the door is equal to or lessthan 1 inch.
 18. The door handle assembly of claim 15, wherein the doorhandle is adapted to move on a pivot axis, the pivot axis beinghorizontal.
 19. The door handle assembly of claim 15, the mountcomprising a plurality of parallel projections, the actuator beingposition between the plurality of parallel projections.
 20. The doorhandle assembly of claim 19, further comprising a fastener, the fasteneradapted to secure the actuator to the plurality of parallel projections.21. The door handle assembly of claim 15, the mount comprising aplurality of parallel projections, the door handle comprising a doorhandle projection, the door handle projection being positioned betweenthe plurality of parallel projections.
 22. The door handle assembly ofclaim 21, further comprising a fastener, the fastener adapted to securethe door handle projection to the plurality of parallel projections. 23.The door handle assembly of claim 15, wherein the first surface iscurved.
 24. The door handle assembly of claim 15, wherein the firstsurface has a convex portion and a concave portion.
 25. The door handleassembly of claim 15, further comprising a pull door handle assemblylocated on the opposite side of the door as the door handle, the pulldoor handle assembly comprising an actuator adapted to pass through anactuator opening and into the bolt.
 26. The door handle assembly ofclaim 15, further comprising a cam assembly disposed perpendicular tothe bolt, the cam assembly comprising a cam attached on a cam shaft, thecam being adapted to abut at least a portion of the bolt, wherein whenthe cam is actuated, the cam is adapted to lock the bolt in the firstposition.
 27. The door assembly of claim 26, wherein the cam assemblyfurther comprises a cam latch attached at one end of the cam shaft, thecam latch being adapted to allow a user to actuate the cam.
 28. The doorassembly of claim 27, further comprising an alternative cam accessattached to the end of the cam shaft opposite to the cam latch, thealternative cam access being adapted to allow a user to actuate the camfrom the side opposite the cam latch.
 29. A door assembly comprising:(A) door handle means for opening and closing a door; (B) bolt means forselectively engaging a door frame, the bolt means being movable from afirst bolt position where the bolt engages a door frame aperture to asecond position where the bolt is retracted from the door frameaperture; (C) actuator means for selectively engaging the bolt; (D)mounting means for operatively coupling the door handle means to theactuator means; (E) roller means for transferring force from the doorhandle means to the bolt means; and (F) surface means for transferringforce from the door handle means to the bolt means, the roller meansabutting the surface means and being moveable from a first position whenthe handle is not actuated to a second position when the door handle ispushed.
 30. The door assembly of claim 29, wherein the roller means iscoupled to the actuator means and the surface means is formed on thedoor handle means.
 31. The door assembly of claim 29, further comprisinga fastening means for securely coupling the actuator means to themounting means.
 32. The door assembly of claim 29, further comprising afastening means for securely coupling the door handle means to themounting means.
 33. The door assembly of claim 29, wherein the rollermeans is coupled to the door handle means and the surface means isformed on the actuator means.
 34. The door assembly of claim 29, furthercomprising a biasing means for biasing the bolt means toward the firstposition.